I seem to be stuck in TiVo/Dish hell! Hoping I can get some pointers here.

I read quite a bit in this thread and a few others over the past three weeks, seeking to be informed before ordering our Dish Satellite service. I wanted to be sure it would work with our Humax DTR-800. We've been using it for 1.5 years with Broadcast TV, and the signal just isn't good enough, so decided to go with Satellite -- which was installed this morning.

Got it all re-hooked this evening, followed instructions in the manual meticulously, including the IR blasters. Then stepped TiVo through the Guided Setup and... nothing!

After going through several screens, entering Zipcode, choosing which Sat. service, etc., there is a screen where TiVo reports if it's receiving a video signal -- and it says it is, but the next screen asks if I see TV in the background, and I do not. I get stuck there.

Overlooked mentioning that TiVo setup has required about three reboots this evening, each one requiring a login to the service and downloading updates (via home network, so at least that's good and fast)... so the silly thing ought be as updated as possible!

After going through several screens, entering Zipcode, choosing which Sat. service, etc., there is a screen where TiVo reports if it's receiving a video signal -- and it says it is, but the next screen asks if I see TV in the background, and I do not. I get stuck there.

I got my DT today. And I can't get beyond the screen where it asks if I can see video in the background. All I see is black and if I skip that step it says that it will only record on one channel. i've tried it on two different tvs with the same results. Does anybody have any ideas?

I have seen that behavior with my 540. If I answer "yes, I see the video" anyway, TiVo still works fine after the guided setup. That's definitely a bug with the 7.x software.

After going through several screens, entering Zipcode, choosing which Sat. service, etc., there is a screen where TiVo reports if it's receiving a video signal -- and it says it is, but the next screen asks if I see TV in the background, and I do not. I get stuck there.

This morning, I called Humax for help with this. The solution was ridiculously simple:

The Technician had me to go Video Hookup, and switch from the A/V feed from which the Satellite signal was coming, to the RF feed on which I have a set of rabbit ears for back up on Broadcast TV. Then he had me switch back to the A/V feed -- and bingo -- the Sat. signal was there!

Better still, it was tuned to Comedy Central and the Cobert Report was the first thing I got to TiVo with my new Dish setup!

Crazy that it has been this awkward to get the thing going... but from other notes I've read, I'm learning that the SatCos are working hard to squeeze TiVo out of the market. Sure hope they can hang on!

I am grateful for this helpful community. (I do wish, however, that the index was easier to use and find which threads to use when newbies are seeking help!)

I see no mention of the Motorola DCT 700 in the list. Becoming quite commonplace now. Comcast is deploying these as the standard SD STB in Northern California, and presumably elsewhere if they have the analog channels simulcast on digital, since the box is digital only. Very fast, recent, but not having good luck with 3-digit channel changes as yet.

Born2Shop, Asshat5000, LoneStar1981;
The IR sensor for the H20 is extremely recessed. You will need to either bend your emitters down to obtain a good angle or try to get a stick-on IR emitter that attached directly to the window.

gconnery, our experience is that DCT700 is capable of using the same IR codes as any of the other DCT-series boxes. I recommend the higher numbered codes (10042, 10046) as they are usually more reliable than 00093. I do not have an exact location for the sensor on this model, but am told it should be located somewhere in the right third of the strip across the middle of the faceplate. Hope this helps.

I have 3 hd 10-250 hi-def dtv tivo's. I installed Fios which is fiber optic high speed internet service and that includes all phones lines to be digital.
The hd 10 250 phone call that tivo makes to upgrade service or what ever else they do will not work with the digital phone line.
Verizon which provides the service and is supposedly trying to correct this problem. Has any else encountered this problem and how was it solved?
Thanks,
Marie
Help!

I have 3 hd 10-250 hi-def dtv tivo's. I installed Fios which is fiber optic high speed internet service and that includes all phones lines to be digital.
The hd 10 250 phone call that tivo makes to upgrade service or what ever else they do will not work with the digital phone line.
Verizon which provides the service and is supposedly trying to correct this problem. Has any else encountered this problem and how was it solved?
Thanks,
Marie
Help!

This is really a question that does not fit into this IR control thread and should be posted as a new subject.

What I found on my H20 I had to have the 2 L shape IR on the right side of the round manual tuner dial on the center of the unit which there is no reason for this to work unless the receiver is located in this area. Mount them just to the right of the dial by the first button about an inch out. Mine would not work over the sensor on the front of the unit but way to the right of it, shooting the signal no where near it but it does work. took me a few days of moving the sensors around. Does not make sense but it works. I have the Series2 and it works.

Does anyone know if TiVo's 7.3 software release did in fact resolve the serial control problems caused by the 7.2 release related to the following satellite/HD receivers: Hughes HTL-HD, LG LSS-3200A, and Sony SAT-HD300?

I want to buy a satellite/HD receiver (for OTA HD reception use only) that I can control via serial port with my Series 2 ST TiVo - would appreciate any known solutions for this capability.

Does anyone know if TiVo's 7.3 software release did in fact resolve the serial control problems caused by the 7.2 release related to the following satellite/HD receivers: Hughes HTL-HD, LG LSS-3200A, and Sony SAT-HD300?

I want to buy a satellite/HD receiver (for OTA HD reception use only) that I can control via serial port with my Series 2 ST TiVo - would appreciate any known solutions for this capability.

Thanks,

Ray (new member)

Welcome to the forum. This issue has been solved for some time.

Here are the instructions our agents give out:
To get serial to work in 7.2.1 and higher, go thru serial tests (first 2 will fail) then choose "Manually select serial control", then choose "APG-2".

If that does not work, have cust press red reset button near receiver's card.

I am thinking of switching from cable to satelite using DISH network. The DVR they are going to send is a DISH player - DVR 625. I did not see this model listed as I browsed this thread. Has anyone heard whether this DVR is compatible with TIVO series 2.

I am thinking of switching from cable to satelite using DISH network. The DVR they are going to send is a DISH player - DVR 625. I did not see this model listed as I browsed this thread. Has anyone heard whether this DVR is compatible with TIVO series 2.

I am thinking of switching from cable to satelite using DISH network. The DVR they are going to send is a DISH player - DVR 625. I did not see this model listed as I browsed this thread. Has anyone heard whether this DVR is compatible with TIVO series 2.

Having a DVR control a DVR can be problematic. Even if the IR codes are compatible, you have to make sure all automated functionality of the Dish DVR is disabled. Otherwise, the Dish DVR could change the channel in the middle of a TiVo recording.

Plus, if the Dish DVR is a dual tuner, our DVR will not be able to utilize both tuners. I do not know the Dish UI, but I envision a scenario where LiveTV is set to the foreground tuner and a channel change request coming in from the TiVo. Due to a recording in progress, or some other reason, you get a recording of the Dish UI asking if you really want to change channels and stop recording.....or something similar to that. Again, I do not have personal experience with the Dish DVR's operation.

To avoid confusion and lost recordings, your best best is to stick to using a standalone satellite receiver with your TiVo DVR.

What I found on my H20 I had to have the 2 L shape IR on the right side of the round manual tuner dial on the center of the unit which there is no reason for this to work unless the receiver is located in this area. Mount them just to the right of the dial by the first button about an inch out. Mine would not work over the sensor on the front of the unit but way to the right of it, shooting the signal no where near it but it does work. took me a few days of moving the sensors around. Does not make sense but it works. I have the Series2 and it works.

This really works and it worked the very first time I tried it. It is baffling as MRELK2 said. Thanks to him for the post. I wish I had seen it sooner. I am using the DTV - H20 manufactured by Philips, with the Directv codes in the IR setup; specifically the
code 10074-B, which can be selected in the Tivo advanced setup, under Channel Changing. There are a lot of people out there stumbling upon this problem, so I hope they see this. I tried several things suggested by others, but this is by far the cleanest and simplest solution.

I had the Dish Network DVR and as long as you don't have any programs set to record on the dvr and just use it as a video source it'll be fine. I had the dual tuner, tivo set up in the living room and the other dvr was for my kids in their room. There is one draw back and a pretty big one I think, the dvr does this diagnostic check at like 2am and it goes into standby mode where all you see is a bouncing DishNetwork logo. If you have Tivo Suggestions on that's all you're going to see.